The Christian Church in the Local Community (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B)

The Role & Importance of the Local Church

The Role and Importance of the Local Church

• The main function of a local church or chapel is a place for people to go to worship

  • This includes people attending church services, or visiting the church for private prayer

• The local church has always had an important role in society

  • Historically, it has been where key messages were communicated and information was shared

  • Nowadays, it helps bring people together and unites them within communities

• The local church community is important because it:

  • Unites the community

  • Provides support and comfort

  • Can provide advice from a person who has religious authority

  • Gives a sense of identity and belonging to an individual

• There are also many other religious functions which take place in a church, such as rites of passage ceremonies which include:

  • Baptism

  • Marriage

  • Funerals

• Many Bible study groups for both children and adults, such as Sunday school, can also take place in local churches and chapels

• Christian churches are often open all day for quiet reflection, and services are regularly held with all being made welcome

  • In this way, churches can help those who are lonely and provide support

Examples of the Christian Church in the Local Community

The Christian Church in the Local Community

• Christians believe that it is part of their duty to act in a moral way and this involves helping others around them

• They believe this because Jesus taught the importance of helping others who are less fortunate

• The Christian Church can play a vital role in helping others in three main areas:

  • Parish activities

  • Outreach work

  • Ecumenism 

Parish Activities

• A parish is an area that has its own church and clergy

  • Parish churches aim to support the local community by

    • offering space and facilities for activities such as youth clubs, parent and toddler groups, and other social gatherings

    • supporting any local Christian primary and secondary schools, providing space for activities when necessary

    • creating a space for Bible discussion groups, so that Christians may reflect on important teachings

  • The church is also used for lots of activities that support the community such as

    • crèche facilities

    • youth groups

    • community meeting places (eg keep fit classes)

    • adult education classes

    • charity events

    • coffee mornings

    • birthday parties

    • concerts

Outreach Work

• Outreach work is putting faith into action by intentionally reaching out to help and serve others in practical ways. Parish churches may give help to people in need by

  • providing support and advice for people on low incomes or families that are struggling

  • providing temporary financial support

  • running food banks and providing homeless shelters

  • giving relationship advice to couples

• According to Peter in the Bible, parish churches have a duty to provide this support because Jesus set an example of looking after people in need:

• Some Christians volunteer as street pastors, going out onto the streets at night to care for those in need and those who are at risk of harm

• The Salvation Army are an example of a Christian denomination who work in the community to help others

  • It sets up food kitchens, organises toy collections at Christmas and offers an advice network

  • The organisation has set up affordable nurseries so that parents of young children can return to work easily and provide for their family

  • It also runs summer camps and after-school clubs to provide children with a safe environment to gain independence and life skills

  • It seeks to represent the vulnerable in society and attends political conferences

  • It provides addiction support and fights to end modern-day slavery, and it also provides support for the elderly, such as activities to prevent old people from feeling isolated

  • They do this because they are following the biblical teaching to, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ (Mark 12:31)

Ecumenism

• Christians believe that Jesus was the ultimate example of reconciliation because his crucifixion and resurrection healed the broken relationship between God and humanity

  • Many Christians try to follow Jesus’ example by working for reconciliation in the world and trying to bring the different denominations of Christianity together

• The ecumenical movement aims to unite all Christian denominations into one Church

  • It was founded in 1910 at the World Missionary Conference in Scotland, and has led to more cooperation between denominations

  • Examples include different denominations sharing the same church building, and ecumenical services, where different denominations worship together

• The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches that works towards ecumenism

  • Each year the global organisation holds a week of prayer devoted to Christian unity, remembering Jesus’ teaching that they may be one so that the world may believe (John 17:21)

  • The organisation runs campaigns to promote unity and works with other religions

• Ecumenism refers to a movement towards unity between churches

  • Local churches often try to connect and come together with other churches in the area or further afield

  • This creates opportunities for churches to work together to tackle social issues on a local or national level